This section "...she had cleaned it and applied some of the antibiotic, angry with herself for having to use some before she had even made it to her winter home..." is one of those areas that makes this whole trip feel so authentic, because while I myself am not much of a survivalist I do know some very skilled ones and this is absolutely the sort of attitude they have. Extremely mindful of what can and can't be replaced, and irritated anytime they are forced to use a finite resource... not to mention taking ownership of a mistake and directing that anger inward. This is one of those little things you find in a story that makes you trust the author has experienced (or has good knowledge of) the subject, namely, a trek through the wilderness.
When I got to the section where Kees was gone, my heart honestly skipped a beat. I was *not* expecting that, and the writing absolutely hit the perfect note of tension there. And, of course, Kees walking back just made me nod and go "I knew she would." I feel so much connection and "ownership" of Kees, the way we get with fictional characters. Same with Dhinal, especially with his comment that Aishah-Zaya would have a lot to answer for.
This whole journey is feeling haunted, to me. Cursed. I don't know what to expect at this point, but I feel like the doors are open to so many different directions. I think Chimal has gone about as far as he is going to go, too...
You hit the proverbial nail on the head with that comment, the whole journey feeling haunted. The idea behind the piece was to take the 'normal' fantasy quest and make it darker, perhaps more realistic. I've always been drawn to the heroic death of Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, so I decided to take that idea and make a series of deaths in one story, none of which are heroic in any shape or form. Whether accident, misadventure, or something else, these deaths are perhaps more realistic? Unkind to the characters, maybe, but I liked to play with that idea.
What is most amusing for me, however, is that this was originally supposed to be a short, standalone novella, an exercise of sorts but the way the tale developed and, especially, the way the characters grew, meant that something grander began to peek through the gaps, something more...epic. Some of the characters in Only One Death are certainly destined for far more exploration and screentime. Watch this space.
I am also highly appreciative of the fact you picked up on the experience angle--I see too many fantasy tales crossing wilderness in a fashion which rarely rings true, and this was something else I wanted to work with. They say write what you know but, for me, that phrase is best coupled with 'and then add to it with ridiculous imagination and, perhaps, a series of deaths'!
This section "...she had cleaned it and applied some of the antibiotic, angry with herself for having to use some before she had even made it to her winter home..." is one of those areas that makes this whole trip feel so authentic, because while I myself am not much of a survivalist I do know some very skilled ones and this is absolutely the sort of attitude they have. Extremely mindful of what can and can't be replaced, and irritated anytime they are forced to use a finite resource... not to mention taking ownership of a mistake and directing that anger inward. This is one of those little things you find in a story that makes you trust the author has experienced (or has good knowledge of) the subject, namely, a trek through the wilderness.
When I got to the section where Kees was gone, my heart honestly skipped a beat. I was *not* expecting that, and the writing absolutely hit the perfect note of tension there. And, of course, Kees walking back just made me nod and go "I knew she would." I feel so much connection and "ownership" of Kees, the way we get with fictional characters. Same with Dhinal, especially with his comment that Aishah-Zaya would have a lot to answer for.
This whole journey is feeling haunted, to me. Cursed. I don't know what to expect at this point, but I feel like the doors are open to so many different directions. I think Chimal has gone about as far as he is going to go, too...
You hit the proverbial nail on the head with that comment, the whole journey feeling haunted. The idea behind the piece was to take the 'normal' fantasy quest and make it darker, perhaps more realistic. I've always been drawn to the heroic death of Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, so I decided to take that idea and make a series of deaths in one story, none of which are heroic in any shape or form. Whether accident, misadventure, or something else, these deaths are perhaps more realistic? Unkind to the characters, maybe, but I liked to play with that idea.
What is most amusing for me, however, is that this was originally supposed to be a short, standalone novella, an exercise of sorts but the way the tale developed and, especially, the way the characters grew, meant that something grander began to peek through the gaps, something more...epic. Some of the characters in Only One Death are certainly destined for far more exploration and screentime. Watch this space.
I am also highly appreciative of the fact you picked up on the experience angle--I see too many fantasy tales crossing wilderness in a fashion which rarely rings true, and this was something else I wanted to work with. They say write what you know but, for me, that phrase is best coupled with 'and then add to it with ridiculous imagination and, perhaps, a series of deaths'!